Wire line booster pump



Nov. 11, 1941. s, EVANS 2,262,225

WIRE LINE BOOSTER PUMP Filed Nov. '7, 1938 A Seth E'Vaas INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 11, 1941 WIRE LINE BOOSTER PUMP Seth Evans, Houston, Tex., assignor to Hughes Tool Company, Houston, Tex., a corporation of Delaware Application November 7, 1938, Serial No. 239,321

7 Claims.

This invention relates to pumps for use in raising liquid from the well into the lower end oi. an eduction tube from which it may be pumped from the well by other lifting means. It pertains particularly to pumps of this character which may be lowered into position through the eduction tube to the lower end of said tube and again removed therefrom by the use of a wire line or similar lifting means.

In wells where gas pressure is low it may be that the well fluid which enters the well will not rise to heights in the well suitable for pumping efficiently by usual types of pumps such as the plunger lift pump or ordinary reciprocating plunger pumps. I desire. to provide a booster pump that will act to till the lower end of the eduction tube with liquid, so that the liquid may be then handled by a plunger lift or other pump.

Thus even though the well pressure is low, a

greater amount of liquid per day may be produced than where the operator must wait for the eduction tube to accumulate sufiicient liquid to operate.

It is an object of the invention to provide a booster pump which may be inserted and removed from the lower end of the eduction tube by means of a wire line equipped with an overshot or the like. I desire to be able to remove the booster pump for inspection or repair whenever desired with a minimum consumption of time and labor.

The invention resides in the particular constructlon which enables the device to be positioned and operated for the purpose noted and without exerting a back pressure upon the formation.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section through a device embodying the invention shown positioned in a well casing.

Figure 2 is a transverse section on the plane 2--2 of Figure 1.

In the drawing I have shown a well casing l within which is suspended by any desired means an eduction tube 2; and it may be understood that there need be no seal between the tube and the casing at the upper end or elsewhere.

To accommodate the use of my wire line booster pump, there is a pressure pipe 3 which may be understood as extending from a source or air or gas under pressure at the surface down into the well to connect at 4 and 5 with the eduction tube. I also provide a liquid bypass pipe 8, connected with the tube at 8 and 1, for a purpose to be described.

My pump includes a body which for purposes of assembly is formed in three sections, an upper section 9, an intermediate section III and a lower section ii. The upper section 9 has an upward projection I! which has a head or knob i3 for engagement by any approved type of releasable overshot or grab. A circumferential groove i4 is from the inlet 4. A radial pressure It connects with said groove to allow flow or the pressure fluid to the upwardly directed discharge nozzle ii. A ring or packing material is set in the periphery of the upper section at II to seal against the escape of pressure fluid.

The intermediate section [3 has therein a time controlled valve i8, which has an upwardly projecting stem slidable through a guide wall I! into a cylinder 2i, where it is connected with the piston 20. Below the valve is a valve chamber 22 below which is a passage 23 for air or gas.. The valve is adapted to engage a seat 24 to close the flow of the gaseous fluid from the passage 23 to the outlet 25 leading to the outside of the tube.

A. restricted amount of air or gas is red uniformly from the passage l5 through ducts 26 and 21 to the upper end and lower end respectively of the cylinder 2i. There is an outlet duct 23 connecting outlet ports in the cylinder with the passage 25. I also provide a ball latch 23 in the piston 20 which cooperates with spaced grooves an in the wall or the cylinder to hold the piston resliliently in either open or closed position of the va ve.

The lower section i i of the body has an upper chamber 3i connecting with the passage 23 and adapted for connection through outlet 32 with a chamber 33 below the body. There is an ejector nozzle 34 projecting upwardly into the lower end of the passage 23. Air is projected from this nozzle coming from the inlet 5 to an annular groove 35 and passage 36 to the lower end of said nozzle. The lower end of the section Ii is extended downwardly at 31 and connected at 38 with a nipple 39 which has therein a chamber 4| for a valve 42 seating within an opening 43 leading from a cage 40 for the ball valve 44. Said valve has a seat within the inlet opening 45. The cage 40 has openings 46 into the chamber 33, and a lateral opening 41, through which the ball 44 may be inserted while the device is at the surface.

The extension 31 has a longitude channel or passage 48 which connects with the outlet 6 to the bypass for liquid past the body to the tube above the same.

In the operation oi! my pump it will be understood that the device is lowered in the tube until it seats upon a seat Ii) in the tubing. Sealing rings ll on the body at spaced points provide against leakage between the fluid passages. The tube has its lower end submerged in the well fluid. Air forced down under pressure trom the surface through pipe 3 will pass partly through passage i5 and most of this air will pass upwardly through the outlet nozzle i8 into the tube. Part of this air will pass through duct 23 or 21 into the cylinder 2|. In the open position or the valve, shown in the drawing, the air will pass through duct 26 to the cylinder above the piston to accumulate sufiiciently to move the valve. Air passing through duct 21 will escape through the outlet passage 28 which is then open. When the pressure in the cylinder above the piston becomes great enough to overcome the resistance of the latch I, the piston will move abruptly to force the valve into its seat closing passage 23'. The air will then begin to accumulate below the piston and after sufllcient time has elapsed will again open the valve.

When the valve is open, air entering at will pass through passage 36, nozzle 34, passages 23 and 25, to the exterior of the tubing where it may escape upwardly from the well. The blowing of air upwardly through the ejector nozzle 34 will cause a reduced pressure in chamber 33 and thus draw liquid from the well upwardly past valve ll into said chamber.

When the valve I8 is closed the ejector will stop working and the air passing through the nozzle 34 will be forced back through passage 32 into chamber 33 and thus force the liquid accumulated therein outwardly through passage 48, bypass 49 and port ll to the tubing above the pump and raise the level of liquid in the tubing above the device. The liquid may thereby be picked up by other lifting devices such as air lift, plunger lift, or other type of pump. The air passing upwardly through the nozzle l6 will aerate the liquid and assist in the lifting of the liquid to the surface. Where this device is employed in conjunction with an air operated plunger lift pump, the air from nozzle l6 will be suflicient to operate the pump. In any case it will assist in raising the liquid within reach of the upper pump.

It will be seen that the air or gas pressure employed in operating. the pump will not be exerted upon the liquid in the well to resist the entrance of said liquid. The valves are so arranged as to prevent the discharge of the air against the formation and, as the well is open, any as in the casing will rise in the well and escape.

'I'he'device may be quickly removed for repair or inspection and again replaced in its seat in the lower end of the eduction tube. Wells drilled in a porous formation with little gas pressure may be made to produce materially larger amounts per day by the assistance of my booster pump than would be otherwise possible.

' What I claim as new is:

1. A tubing for wells, an air operated booster pump unit adapted to be lowered into a seat at the lower end of said tubing, said unit including in combination a liquid receiving chamber adjacent the lower end of said unit, an upwardly opening valve controlling the flow of liquid from the well to said chamber, an ejector connected with said chamber, means to conduct a pressure fluid through said ejector to lower the pressure in said chamber and draw liquid into the same, means to stop the action of said ejector and direct pressure fluid into said chamber to force the liquid therefrom and a passage for said liquid past said unit to the tubing above the same.

2. A well tubing, a seat therein. adjacent :its lower end, a booster pump unit adapted to be lowered to and withdrawn from said seat, said unit including in combination means to conduct air from the surface to said unit, a passage through said unit and said tubing for said air, an ejector in said passage, a valve in said passage downstream from said ejector, means to operate said valve to open and close alternately in timed relation, a suction chamber operated by said ejector when said valve is open to draw liquid from the well to said chamber, said air acting when said valve is closed to force the liquid from said chamber, and a bypass for said liquid from including in combination means to conduct air from the surface to said unit, a passage through said unit and said tubing for said air, an ejector in said passage, a valve in said passage downstream from said ejector, means to operate said valve to open and close alternately in timed relation, a suction chamber operated by said ejector when said valve is open to draw liquid from the well to said chamber, said air acting when said valve is closed to force the liquid from said chamber, a bypass from said chamber to the tubing above said unit, a back pressure valve in said bypass, and a standing valve in the lower end of said suction chamber.

4. 'A well tubing, a pumping unit slidable in said tubing to a seat at the lower end thereof, said unit including means on said unit for engagement by an overshot, means to seal between said unit and the tubing to close passage of fluid between said unit and said tubing, means to conduct air under pressure to said unit, an ejector operated by said air to draw liquid from the well into said unit, a liquid passage around said unit, a back pressure valve in said liquid passage, and means to force said liquid into th tubing above said unit responsive to the presence of said air whereby said air is enabled to exert pressure upon said liquid to force it into said tubing.

5. An eduction tube for wells, an annular seat adjacent the lower end thereof, a pumping unit shaped to fit closely in said tube and to be lowered therein to engage upon said seat, said unit including in combination a liquid receiving chamber, fluid actuated means to draw liquid from the well to said chamber, means to prevent backward flow of liquid from said chamber to the well, and means to exert fluid pressure upon the liquid in said chamber to force it upwardly in said tubing, and means on said unit to be engaged by an overshot tool and withdrawn from the well.

6. In combination, an eduction tube for wells, a seat adjacent the lower end thereof, a pumping unit adapted to be moved in said tube to and from said seat, means to conduct air under pressure from the surface to and transversely through said unit and said tube, means operated by said air to draw liquid from the well into said unit, an upwardly opening check valve to prevent back flow of said liquid to the well, means to direct the air pressure upon said liquid, and means to conduct said liquid upwardly exteriorly "of said unitto said tube above said unit.

'7. In an air lift device, an eduction tube, a pumping unit adapted to be removably positioned adjacentthe lower end thereof means to conduct air under pressure through said unit and tube, allquid chamber, means operated in response to the flow of said air to draw liquid into said chamber, a downwardly closing valve in said chamber, periodically operating means to direct the flow of air into said chamber and a passage for said liquid around said unit.

SETH EVANS. 

